Published: 17 May 2025

Looking for a fun, family-friendly craft that connects kids with the outdoors and sparks a little creativity? This cardboard flower vase project ticks all the boxes. It’s easy, eco-conscious, and perfect for showcasing summertime finds from a garden walk—whether that’s your own or a visit to Holker Hall & Gardens.

This make-and-do activity doesn’t involve glue or water, and the best bit? You can fill it with natural treasures gathered from the outdoors, letting little ones design their own seasonal centrepiece.

Here’s how to make one.

What You’ll Need

Most of these bits and bobs are likely already lying around the house:

  • A small cardboard box (a cereal or delivery box is perfect)
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Natural items like twigs, flower stalks, feathers, dried grasses or leaves
  • Optional: string, paint or stickers for decoration

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Find Your Cardboard Base

Start by choosing a small cardboard box that’s sturdy enough to stand up on its own. A cereal box works well if you fold and glue it into a smaller shape, or you could cut up a delivery box.

Cut the top of the box to the height you’d like your vase to be—roughly 15–20cm is ideal. Keep the bottom intact so it can stand on its own.

2. Draw and Cut Your Holes

Use a pencil to gently mark out where you’d like to place your holes on the top of the vase. Space them out enough so the flowers or twigs have room to spread. Then, with scissors or a sharp pencil (grown-ups may need to help here), carefully poke holes through the cardboard top.

Make the holes just big enough to push your stalks or stems through. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect—this is meant to look rustic and handmade.

3. Go on a Nature Walk

Now comes the fun part: collecting your decorations. Take a walk through the garden, a local green space, or if you’re nearby, explore Holker Hall & Gardens for some visual inspiration. Look for interesting shapes, textures and colours—think daisies, buttercups, lavender stalks, dandelions, long grasses, or even decorative seed heads.

(Just remember not to pick from public gardens unless it’s permitted. If visiting Holker Hall & Gardens, enjoy looking but gather your items from home or another allowed area.)

4. Assemble Your Vase

Once you’ve got your natural treasures, gently poke them through the holes in the top of your cardboard vase. You can mix and match textures—perhaps a few dried grasses next to a bold daisy or some fluffy dandelion seed heads alongside a feather.

There’s no right or wrong way to arrange it—let children experiment and see what they enjoy most.

5. Decorate the Outside (Optional)

If you’d like, add some finishing touches to the outside of your vase. Paint it in summer colours, stick on pressed leaves, or tie string or ribbon around it for a rustic feel. You could even glue small pebbles or bark for a textured effect.

A Lovely Display of Summer

This cardboard flower vase is a great way to bring nature indoors and celebrate the season’s simple pleasures. It’s mess-free, budget-friendly, and a lovely project for children to revisit again and again—with each walk bringing new items to display.

Whether you’re crafting on the kitchen table or after a stroll through Holker Hall & Gardens, this is a sweet little activity that invites everyone to slow down, explore and get creative.

Looking for inspiration? Why not visit Holker Hall & Gardens?